ABOUT JULIE MARTIN ART

Artist Statement

With an MFA and decades of experience in the art world as an artist, administrator, curator, and gallerist, I have witnessed firsthand the ways in which the creative process can become overly intellectualized—often at the expense of the emotional and spiritual dimensions that give art its resonance.

 

Over time, I found myself drawn to creating work that simply speaks to me, independent of its intellectual merit. After all, no theory or analysis can surpass the sheer beauty of a peony in bloom or the majesty of a river cascading through a mountain landscape.

 

Yet, intellect is not abandoned, for is God not the creator of intellect itself? Nature, in all its wonder, is imbued with geometry, chemistry, and unseen laws beyond our comprehension. My early flower paintings focused on close-ups of petals and leaves, capturing the elegant lines and rhythms found in nature. This attention to form and movement aligns with my deep appreciation for the refinement of calligraphy and design—an influence I see echoed in the natural world time and again.

 

My work often shifts between the minimal and the extravagant, embracing both restraint and expressive detail. I do not seek to contain this dynamic tension; rather, I allow it to unfold organically, much like the natural world itself. Whether through delicate precision or expansive expression, my art exists as a response to beauty—a beauty that speaks beyond words, intellect, or doctrine, straight to the heart.